Painful Reminscences
by Sweet Pix 95
Summary: Our beloved princess has disappeared and now life in the palace would never be the same. Yong Qi is barely alive, Zi Wei and Er Kang are struggling to pull him back to his feet. Their last resort? Bringing him out, where they meet someone familiar-looking...
1. Fates Set Into Motion

_Hi guys I've merged the forewords and chapter one because the forewords just didn't really make sense as I wrote it when I was still on winglin. _

* * *

"I didn't do anything, Yong Qi, please, believ- " she cried desperately, crystalline tears streaming down her porcelain cheeks.

Yong Qi cut her off abruptly, his face red with anger, "She may not be the one I love, but she's still my wife all the same and the baby she's carrying is mine too! The baby is innocent! It's an innocent life! A living, breathing, life!"

He turned and strode off, without even casting a single look back at the girl helplessly kneeling upon the hard ground.

"I know that, Yong Qi, I know all of that… But why won't you believe me…?" she whispered to his retreating back, to the empty air in front of her with right hand pressing against her abdomen.

"I need you too…"

* * *

The pounding of the heavy pouring rain filled her ears, along with her own labored breathing. Her hand was hidden beneath the plain, ugly cloak that she wore in hope to ward off the chill of the weather, resting protectively upon her abdomen.

The tattered and soiled hem of the cloak lifted upwards with each step she took to plough through the rain soaked earth on her unstable footing to reveal the grandeur that was hidden beneath its unsightly brown. The silky pink splashed with exquisite embroideries was undeniably spectacular even though it was also soaked in muddied water. The same could be said for the mud-splattered silken embroidered shoes upon her feet which looked exceedingly out of place, as they had not been made with the purpose of trekking through the muddy terrain the young lady was doing so.

Dry sobs wracked her frame as she tried desperately to find some shelter and help with both her tears and the falling rain pelting her smooth face; it was hard to distinguish between the two.

Her steps gradually grew more unsteady and wobbly as her strength slowly ebbed away from her. At last, they lost all of their strength and folded beneath her as her elfin frame slowly met the mucky earth, a thick red liquid seeping into its muddy waters…

* * *

It has been five years. Five long years since the death of the famous princess, Huan Zhu Ge Ge (还朱格格), who had been greatly adored by her people.

The one who had taken the hardest blow from her passing away, however, was not among the commoners but within the grand palace walls- the favoured prince of His Majesty, Wu Ah Ge(五阿哥), Yong Qi(永琪).

The man in question presently sat motionless on a stool, dull brown orbs staring blankly at the tattered book on the table before him. What used to be the most promising prince was now turned into a lifeless soul; what used to be a glowing countenance has turned into sunken cheeks and deep eye bags threatening to swallow up those dull brown orbs.

Gone were the days of daily court meetings, or even laughter. Since the day they had discovered Xiao Yan Zi's death beyond the palace walls, he had not attended a single court meeting. The only times they had seen a smile on his face since then was when Xiao Jian brought news of Er Kang's hopeful survival and when they had finally found him. Even then, they were bitter sweet, for he was only reminded of his own loss in the face of Zi Wei's and Er Kang's happy reunion.

With Er Kang's return, however, Yong Qi had lost his purpose in life, for without Xiao Yan Zi by his side, it felt meaningless to him to carry out his duties as a prince. After all, what use was he as a prince if he could not even have saved his beloved? Hence, he was reduced to this pathetic shell of his former self, passing his days in a trance as everything and anything sent him into painful reminiscences.

It was heartbreaking to watch such an energetic and capable youth turn into this walking tragedy. That was why Zi Wei (紫薇) and Er Kang were to determined to force him back on track.

For the first year or so, the couple had not interfered in his "mourning" as they, themselves, had also been despaired at the lost of a sister and a friend. For the first half of the second year, they still took no action in regards to his lack of will to live, understand that Yong Qi needed and had every right for some time to get over his loss as deeply in love with Xiao Yan Zi(小燕子) he was.

It was only during the middle of the second year that they had made their move, giving him a nudge or two whenever they met him, which was plenty enough. Since then, it has been a year and a half and seeing how there has been no progress, the couple had no choice but to try something drastic.

It was this drastic action that had led them to Yong Qi's residence, Jin Yang Gong, which was once the epitome of joy and happiness but was now just an empty shell, silent and bleak. Their presence was quickly made known with their echoing footsteps clearly audible within the still palace, where one could even hear the sound of needles falling onto the ground when they did.

"Princess Zi Wei and the Prince Consort have arrived!紫薇格格驾到!驸马爷驾到！" the drowsy guards stationed by the entrance were almost lulled to sleep by the silence of the afternoon when the arrival of the princess, Ming Zhu Ge Ge(明珠格格), and the consort, Fu Ma Ye(驸马爷), shocked any hint of fatigue out of their system.

Acknowledging them with a nod, they swiftly strode into the receiving hall, only to be greeted by Zhi Hua (知画) and her personal maids.

"Good morning, Zi Wei Jie Jie and Prince Consort. May I enquire the purpose of your visit at this early hour?/知画给紫薇姐姐和俄驸请安. 请问两位在这时辰拜访知画有什么可帮忙的呢?"she questioned courteously.

Gazing at the woman before her, Zi Wei could not hold back the pity that rushed to fill her heart. The girl looked drained and her face was ashen, her skin clinging helplessly onto her bones. The poor girl had suffered such a great deal since Yong Qi lost Xiao Yan Zi, with him doing nothing all day long but thinking of her, responding to no one at all. It was not much different from being a widow!

As gently as she could, she asked her, "Is Yong Qi around?/ 永棋呢?"

A dark look was cast over her porcelain countenance as she answered in a voice so low that her words were almost carried away by the wind.

"He's still the same as always, in _that_ room./ 还是一样, 在_那_房间里."

Whispering her thanks, Zi Wei gave her husband a worried glance which was returned in kind as they hesitantly approached the room Yong Qi had once shared with Xiao Yan Zi.

Knocking lightly on the door, she said softly, "Yong Qi, it's me. And Er Kang. /永棋，是我和尔康."

"Come in,/进来吧," the reply they received was so faint they had nearly missed it.

The couple entered the room silently, hearts sinking with the usual hopelessness as they witnessed the typical sight before them. That despair, however, solidified their determination towards what they were about to do.

"Yong Qi, we can't let you waste away your life anymore! You need to wake up! You can't keep burying yourself in Xiao Yan Zi's death, you need to get back up on your feet! She's gone already! But the people around you aren't, they still need you! She wouldn't have wanted you to end up like this!/ 永棋，我们不能再让你如此荒废下去了! 你一定得醒一醒，振作起来啊! 你不能一直停留在小燕子的死，你是要继续生活下去! 就算你是多么地不情愿，你也得为你身旁的人，为这些一心关心你，呵护你的家人、朋友，为了小燕子，坚持下去呀! 她一定也不希望你为了她而这样堕落下去!"

Er Kang ended his speech fiercely and feeling much better off, finally having said all that he had kept in his heart for so long. After all, he had grown up with Yong Qi from young and he could not watch him ruin himself like this.

In a more tender tone, Zi Wei added on, "Yong Qi, he's right. Xiao Yan Zi wouldn't have wanted to see you like this. You need to be strong, Yong Qi. /是呀，永棋，小燕子也一定不想到你失魂落魄成这样阿. 你一定要振作啊，永棋."

Yet, these seemed to have no effect on Yong Qi as he just nodded his head mutely. It seems like we were hoping for too much, Zi Wei thought, it is time we pull out all stops.

In a firm tone, Zi Wei said, "Yong Qi, we know that Xiao Yan Zi's passing was a great blow to you, but so was it for us! You're not the only one grieving! We lost a friend too, a sister even! But look at us! We still got back up and pulled ourselves together! Pushing away every single person that cares about you is not going to help you mend that hole in your heart! You have become a beast! Not only do you hurt yourself, but also the people around you! Look at Zhi Hua, take a good look at her! She's not any different from a widow! And have you seen Huang Ah Ma? He's sick with worry for you every day! Have you noticed how wearied he has become? /永琪，我们知道小燕子的死对你造成了多大的打击，但是伤心难过的不止是你一个人而已. 我们也很悲哀啊! 我和尔康也不都失去了个要好的朋友，甚至是姐妹!但你看看我们! 我们还是一样地震作了起来呀! 推开所有想帮助你的人，拒绝我们所有人的关心，不让我们靠近你，帮你弥补你心里面的那个空缺; 你根本就是个禽兽，伤害自己，还伤到你身边所有的人! 看看知画! 她现在和寡妇都没两样了! 你到底有没有看见皇阿玛天天为你担心，现在变得多憔悴了?"

Sensing that Zi Wei was close to breaking down, Er Kang placed a hand on her to remind her of their purpose today and also to calm down the emotions raging within her.

Breathing out deeply, Zi Wei continued, "Fine. I know that saying all of these is not going to change anything. That's why, we have decided that you need a change of scenery. Whether you like it or not, you are going to get some exercise and a breath of fresh air on our inspection trip! Maybe that's exactly what you need. / 好，我知道我们所说的这些话也不会改变什么，所以，我和俄康已决定了，这该是时候让你出来走动走动，透透气. 其实，你需要的可能正是换一换风景. 呼吸一下新的空气. 不管你想不想，要不要，你也一定得和我们一起陪皇阿玛去这趟为辅出巡! 我们想说的只有这些. 我们不多说了，先回去了."

With that, the couple left the room as quietly as they had came in, leaving Yong Qi gazing off in space.

'Xiao Yan Zi, if you could see him now,/小燕子，如果你能看见他现在这样子', Zi Wei pondered as she departed for her home, 'I think you would have approved of our actions as well…/我想，你也一定会赞成我们这样的做法吧…'

* * *

"Ha ha ha!/哈哈哈!" Chimes of tinkling laughter echoed in the spacious courtyard as a stunning young woman chased behind a young boy of five teasingly. The boy's attempt to escape the young woman proved futile as she wrapped her slender arms around his middle, lifting him up into the air. Their laughter was contagious as the young child squirmed playfully in her embrace, little feet kicking vivaciously at air.

"Okay, okay! I give up! Put me down!/好，好，我投向了! 姐姐，放我下来啦!" the cherubic youth yielded breathlessly, his childish features tinted pink with glee.

Chuckling light-heartedly, the lovely maiden set him down, captivating brown orbs twinkling with mischief as she tapped his tiny button nose sharply.

"That would teach you not to provoke your Jie Jie(elder sister)/看你以后还敢不敢来惹姐姐!" her melodic voice was laced with mirth as an arm was positioned at her waist, a parody of the dominating posture.

Sticking out his tongue mischievously, the boy was about to reply with a mocking rebuke when a shout off the distance stole both of their attention.

"Young Mistress, Young Master! /小姐, 少爷!"

A slender figure was frantically waving a white handkerchief as she called out, "The Lord and Lady are look for you! Hurry in! /老爷和夫人正在找你们呀! 快进屋吧!"

She raised her voice as she turned in her vague direction, replying, "Okay, okay, Wan Xia, we're coming in! / 好，好，晚霞，我们这就进去了!"

Turning to the little child, she remarked playfully with a mischievous twinkle in her tantalizing brown eyes, "I'll get even with you later! Let's go, Jie Er! /这账, 等下再继续和你算. 走吧洁儿!"

With a grin adorning her captivating features, the youthful maiden offered a delicate hand to the young boy as he reached for it, giggling merrily. The pair made their way towards a bright and cheery looking residence with a skip in their step, hands swinging joyfully back and forth.


	2. Musings

_**Author's Notes:**__ To those who can't read Chinese, I'm really sorry, I just don't have the time to translate it now. I'm already taking long enough to write this story out and I'm just too tired to back track to translate the Chinese conversations. Perhaps when I finish writing out more of the story or if someone's free and willing to translate for me. I'll try my best. Especially if more people ask for English. For now, just enjoy this, okays? Real sorry guys_

_And also, I know some of you people REALLY hate Zhi Hua, so do I, but I'm really trying to add depth to my characters here. I know many complained about the lack of depth for the characters in the third season and I do somewhat agree so I'm really trying to improve them. So for those Zhi Hua haters, just try to step out of it and read it as a by stander because my style is SHOWING not TELLING so you have to look into it a bit more to understand the characters. Or so I hope. So just bear with me for a while alright?_

_***added english dialogue!**  
_

* * *

The emperor sighed as he rubbed tiredly at his temples, futilely trying to dispel the intense headache. He had been relentlessly plouging through the mountains of petitions and proposals for the past few hours, hoping to be able to somewhat diminish the workload in advance in preparation for the four months that he would be away from the palace.

Another heavy sigh pernetrated the dreadful silence as that thought led to another. He had his reasons for organizing a trip at this particular time and the biggest one had been his son, Yong Qi.

The prince had been lifeless and disconnected ever since his beloved adopted daughter's death and it has been five years since then. This mourning had been dragging on for too long and the palace had been equally depressing for just as long. Qian Long reckoned that it was time that they all left this suffocating palace for a while and lighten their spirits with some sight seeing.

Deep in contemplation, the Emperor failed to notice the long shadow that had been cast as the silent invader quietly crept up from behind. Tensing, she readied herself for the effort then pounced upon the unsuspecting Emperor, aiming for his exposed neck.

"皇爷爷!/Grandfather!" the cheerful cry echoed throughout the dimly light spacious room, the young girl giggling as she clung onto the emperor's neck.

Sighing the emperor questioned, not much too fazed by her after hundredth and one time of her tackling him from behind, "秋心，现在都什么时辰了，怎么还没就寝? 奶娘呢?/Look at the time, Qiu Xin, shouldn't you be in bed by now? Where's your nanny?"

A devilish giggle was his only answer.

Helplessly, the emperor shrugged at his granddaughter's usual antics as the smile tugged at his lips. Her lively spirit was already doing wonders for his worn out mind.

It was amazing how alike she was to his trouble making of an adopted daughter whom had been her mother's rival of some sorts one could say. He had some inkling of the unpleasant feelings that had been sown in Zhi Hua over time towards his beloved Kai Xin Guo, but it was also not surprising in the least. After all, to her Xiao Yan Zi was source of Yong Qi's detachment to everything and everyone around him. To Qian Long, Yong Qi and some others, they also seen how much joy and life she had brought to the prince too.

Yet, even so, it was impossible how Zhi Hua could be so cold to such a lovable child– what more her own child– simply because she behaved unnervingly alike to someone she did not like very much, someone who was dead. For a matter of fact, it was even more surprising that Yong Qi had completely ignored the girl too. The two should have seen her likeness to Xiao Yan Zi as a blessing; for Yong Qi, he could have seen her as an extension of his beloved and for Zhi Hua, she could have taken the chance to understand why exactly Xiao Yan Zi had been thus loved.

Yet, sadly, both had not. They were too absorbed in their own, separate worlds of misery to see the potential joy and happiness in their lives.

Qian Long resisted the urge to sigh for umpteenth time of the day. This trip had better be seeing some improvement in both of them.

A tugging at his sleeve drew him out of his reverie.

"皇爷爷，皇爷爷! 那是什么?/ Grandfather! What's that, what's that!"

Gazing at him questioningly with those large eyes of hers, Qian Long was momentarily reminded of another pair of curious big eyes and a deep chuckle escaped him.

"你指这个吗?/ You mean this old thing?" he asked teasingly, pointing out the plan for the trip strewn on a corner of his study table.

Eagerly nodding, the girl answered, "嗯，嗯! 爷爷，快告诉我呀，秋心可好奇死了!/ Yes, yes! You've got Qiu Xin so curious now! Tell me, grandfather, do tell me!"

Laughter bubbled forth from him at the young girl's unorthodox expression. Though it was still a mystery to him as to where she had been picking up these words from(he would have to find out who was this mystery source and made sure his precious granddaughter was not going overboard with her verbal knowledge). It seemed like she was determine to defy every law of palace life and turn out to be another mini Xiao Yan Zi.

"那个吗.../ Well…"

Qian Long futile attempt at hiding his grin was not fooling the girl as he playfully dragged it out.

Bursting with impatience, Qiu Xin urged with the norm bold impertinence, "说呀，说呀!/ Well? Do say, Grandfather!"

The struggling smile broke free as it reigned freely upon his countenance.

Eyes twinkling, he replied innocently, "那是我们下个月为辅出巡的计划呀. 怎么了? 你不知道吗?/ Why, that's our plan for our incognito trip next month, of course! Didn't you know?"

Huffing, the girl exclaimed indignantly, an adorably annoyed expression donned on her cherubic features, "爷爷! 你好过分啊! 明知道我什么都不懂，还故意这样! 八成也是你不让我知道吧!/ Grnadfather! You're too much, really! You knew I was completely clueless yet you purposely kept me in suspense! I bet you're the one that kept me from me too, isn't it?"

Tapping her little button nose, his grin widened in the face of her cute, puffed out rosy red cheeks as he corrected her, mirth lining his words, "呃，呃，呃，可别这么说呀. 爷爷是想给我最宝贝的孙女一个惊喜罢了./ Don't put it that way; Grandfather only wanted to give his most precious granddaughter a surprise!"

"噢，爷爷你也太坏了吧! 你是故意叫侍卫和公公们推下的吧? 难怪我从刚刚到现在一直都在奇怪，怎么这次这么容易就溜进来了?/ Ohhhh! Now I see! No wonder I had no trouble getting in here; you called off all the guards and servants, didn't you! You were waiting for me to slip in!"

The little girl wagged a finger in his face, her other hand resting on her tiny waist, with a humorous pseudo chastising expression upon her innocent face, huge brown eyes narrowed while a grin tugged at her cherry lips.

Qian Long shrugged as if he could not care then opened his arms wide in invitation with a grin plastered on his wrinkled countenance, to which Qiu Xin accepted readily as she lunged into his arms, wrapping her short arms as much as she could around his thick middle, tittering.

"所以，爷爷的意思是会带我去咯?/ So, you mean to bring me along with you, don't you, Grandfather?"

Her words were muffled slightly as she spoke into his chest but Qian Long both heard and felt her quite clearly.

Holding her by her arms, he untangled her from his embrace, pulling her face to face as his bright eyes looked into hers, saying mock sternly, "当然会呀! 爷爷出宫怎能少了我的小小开心果呀?/Of course! How could I leave without my little ball of sunshine?"

The beaming girl threw her arms around him, squealing, "爷爷万岁! 爷爷万岁! /Yay! Grandfather's the best!"

The silly grin found its place back on Qian Long's face as he thought, how funny it was that a line he heard everyday could warm his heart so much coming from this child.

*PR*

Zhi Hua gazed blankly at the flickering light before.

How had she ended up like this?

She was supposed to be enjoying a life of untold riches and splendor, with a loving husband at her side. That was the future her parents had painted out for her since her youth. She had been educated in every kind of art, trained gruelingly in every aspect a proper lady should act – her walk, her talk, the way she ate – , gifted with a rare beauty as well as a good linage and connections from her family.

Out of the four sisters, she was the most outstanding and she had taken pride in that. The fact that her parents had only four daughters and no sons made it such that it was the sisters' ultimate goal to find the best marriage out of the four. And she, the most ambitious of them all, had risen to the top, marrying into the prestigious palace, where her position as the future empress was almost certainly secured.

But somehow, somewhere, everything had come crashing down.

She had never doubted that her future husband would adore her. After all, she had grown up with constant praise lavished upon her and she, like every other girl out there, too secretly hoped that she would have the love of her husband, especially since she had lived with a father who was loyal to her mother.

Yet, that belief was ultimately what had caused her misery. She had taken for granted that she would be welcomed, loved even, by Yong Qi, even if not at once but eventually, after he had seen all the good qualities she had that Xiao Yan Zi lacked.

But to her disbelief, her charms had little use on him. He was absolutely besotted with the boorish girl! It went against everything she had been taught, everything her life had revolved around.

How could educated royalties not prefer just as educated and well-learnt ladies?

How could he not like other royalties be able to at the very least spilt a bit of his heart to her?

She had been taught and prepared, with the high hopes that she would be the one to have the honor of marrying a royalty, for the prospect that princes would be able to love many women at once and she had to live with it but just take care to remain in favor and as the favourite.

Nothing had gone like she was taught it was supposed to, she reflected bitterly as she coldly observed the moth flying to the flame foolishly.

Perhaps she was just like that moth, she had been so drawn to Yong Qi that she schemed and plotted her way to him, knowing that in the end, she would get nothing but burnt.

Reaching out, she let a finger approach the fire daringly, almost allowing the hungry flames to lick at her fair skin.

No, she thought, she would not have gotten burnt. She had Xiao Yan Zi out of the way and if she had given birth to a boy, Yong Qi would not be ignoring her, shelving her to one side.

Even though she was born in an all girls family, she knew how importantly boys were regarded in their present society. Perhaps it was precisely because of their family's lack of male children that she had come to recognize that fact even more pronouncedly.

She knew that men were perfectly endowed with the right to shelve or even divorce their wives if they were unable to provide them with sons. She knew too how even more scarily predominant this was in the palace. Sons were heirs. Sons were precious. Sons were power.

How many women had despaired and suffered for not having sons in this palace?

And now, she too had become one of them.

Everyone had sought to gain her favor when she was pregnant, ensuring her that the baby she carried would be a male. She had believed them and had completely expected it to happen. Could anyone have imagined the shock and disappointment that had struck her when the humiliating organ stared tauntingly back at her when she examined the useless girl she had given birth to?

Everything was all _its_ fault.

If it had been obedient and followed her wishes, it would have turned out to be a boy. And then Yong Qi would have loved her and her son. He would have forgotten about Xiao Yan Zi and they would have been a happy family. Everything would have been perfect.

But no, _it_ had ruined everything.

So deep was she buried in her hateful thoughts that she had not noticed how that cunning flamed had made use of her distractedness and caught her in its grasp. Only when a maid entered the room carrying her washing basin happened upon the horrifying sight and, alarmed, had let slipped the bronze basin did her finger retract from the fire from the shock of the great clattering that ensued.

"我的天呀，福晋，您在干什么呀?!/ My god, Fu Jin! What in the world are you doing?!"

Ignoring the basin on the floor, Gui Mo Mo hurried over to examined her mistress's finger, shouting for the two other maids to bring medicine and bandage.

Zhi Hua stared detachedly at her singed finger that was dusted with soot as Gui Mo Mo carefully cradled it, checking the damage she had inflicted upon herself.

It was just like her life. Pure white except for those black stains splattered across, destroying the perfect picture, just like _that thing_…

*PR*

"爹、娘，怎么了?/ What is it, Mother, Father?"

Holding onto her little brother's hand, Xia Ying wore an expression of puzzlement which was duplicated on Jie Er's own cherubic features. Their parents had been conversing seriously before their arrival and they seemed to be quietly discussing the contents of a letter which her mother had been waving about and gesturing to animatedly.

A solemn look adorned the wrinkled planes of her father's face as he announced, "有一位贵客希望能到府上住上几天，而且还想带上几个亲戚朋友."

This statement was not only unhelpful in clearing the situation up, it also baffled her further.

Why were her parents making such a big deal over a temperary guest? There were frequent visitors to their residence, all old friends of her father's from his time serving in the imperial court. If he wanted to bring a few other people, so be it. It wasn't as if there would be a lack of housing arrangement in their fairly large residence.

So what was the fuss?

When it became evident that her parents were not planning on elaborating further, Xia Ying made the first move.

"所以这位客人是爹当官时的朋友吗 ?/So is this guest a friend of Father's from his time in court?"

Contemplation flitted across his aged countenance, before nodding hesitantly, "也算是吧./ You could put it that way."

Impatience boiled up within Xia Ying and she finally burst out, "那他到底是谁?!/ Then who exactly is he?!"

The was a lack of their usual teasing humor at her occasional eruptions as such and that was when Xia Ying truly realised the depth of the problem that was staring in her face.

Maintaining the somber mood, the elderly couple eyed the two for a long tense moment before her father broke the edgy atmosphere with a helpless sigh.

"这位客人便是当今皇上，乾隆皇帝./ This guest is the current Emperor on throne, Qian Long."

There was a minute of stunned silence as their words gradually sank into her uncooperative mind.

"什么?!/ What?!"

Alarmed, she could not stop the words that tore from her throat.

Even Jie Er was staring disbelievingly at his parents, his jaw hanging limply in shock.

Glancing disapprovingly at her husband, the Lady Tang muttered, "你看你看，我都说了会这样./ You see? I told you this would happen."

Sweeping her gaze back to her children, she gently reassured, "先别着急，若你们真的不喜欢的话，你爹他还是可以推辞的./ Don't work yourselves into frenzy just yet. If you really do have violent objections, your Father could always reject it."

Xia Ying stared at her mother, her expression laced with grievous horror at her suggestion.

"娘，您这是说什么傻话呀? 皇上的意思，我们岂能违抗呀!/ What are you saying, Mother? It's the Emperor you're talking about; how could we defy his wishes?"

Warm smile plastered on, the Lady Tang soothed the frazzled girl, "夏儿，别急，别急. 娘的意思是说，叫你爹回信说府上正在维修着，不方便客人来住，建议他们住宿另外安排./ Calm down, Xia Er. I only meant that your Father could always give the Emperor an excuse, like our residence is under renovation, and suggest that he finds other lodgings."

Leaving her seat, her mother approached her, taking her free hand and patting it gently as she said with cheerfully, "更何况，你爹他也曾是皇上的老师，皇上他，也会给他点面子的，放心./ Besides, your Father was once the Emperor's mentor after all. He wouldn't be too quick to disagree, don't worry."

"可是，娘,/ But, Mother," Xia Ying fidgeted uncomfortably as she said, "这样还是不太好吧… 他可是皇上耶…/ That's still not right… He IS the Emperor after all…"

Shifting her gaze to her father, she saw that he was still deep in thought.

Frowning as he gazed at the letter so intensely, one would expect to burst in flames, Lord Tang slowly stated, " 夏儿说得对，皇上的要求也不太好拒绝，就算我曾短暂指导过皇上./ She's right. It wouldn't be too good to reject the Emperor's request, even if I had once briefly been a mentor to him."

At this Xia Ying said, "爹，娘，没关系的. 如果他们只是住上几天，我和洁儿都不会太介意的，是吧，洁儿?/ It's okay, Father, Mother. If they're only staying here for a few days, it wouldn't be too much of a problem for us, right, Jie Er?"

She sent him a side along pointed look, to which he immediately nodded fervently, proclaiming, "是啊，是啊，我们无所谓的! 就回信说，我们期待他们的到来吧，爹/ Yes, yes, we don't mind! Just tell them that we eagerly await their arrival, Father."

Lady Tang looked back and forth between the two siblings, before fixating her gaze on Xia Ying, which she returned determinedly, trying as hard as she could to channel sincere consent through her eyes.

When she saw how she refused to waver, her mother started hesitantly, "如果你们俩都真得这么认为的话…/ If that's what you truly wish…"

She gazed meaningfully at her husband, before finally completing her sentence, "那好吧，就照着杰儿说的，快给他们回信了./ It's settled then. We had better reply them quickly, as Jie Er said."

"好吧，夫人，我现在就开始写,/ Alright then, my lady, I'll start writing now," Lord Tang replied wearily.

Turning back to Xia Ying, Lady Tang reminded her daughter, "夏儿，你也应该知道你需要做什么了吧?/ You know what you must do now right, Xia Er?"

Sighing, Xia Ying, nodded, answering, "是的，娘. 夏颖这就去准备了./ Yes, Mother. I'll go prepare now."

"走吧，洁儿. 姐姐该去排练了，而你这小鬼头也该去念书了,/ You should go too, Jie Er. Let you sister go practice and get on with your own studies, you little rascal." she prompted, her tone slightly chastising.

She gently directed him out from behind as he lamented, "可是，可是，我和姐姐一起耶…/ But, but, she promised mes…"

Gazing at the retreating backs of her two children, the Lady Tang shook her head fondly as a smile attached itself to her lips.

* * *

Review alright guys? Please?


	3. Pranks and Mischief

**A/N:** Added in the missing english dialogue and translated the first chapter. Enjoy!

* * *

The Empress Dowager was enjoying her evening stroll as usual around the spacious and extravagant gardens in her own backyard, her maids and eunuchs naturally walking ahead of her leading the way. The setting sun was dyeing the sky an endless mirage of soft pink against the vibrant red and orange, painting a beautiful backdrop against the colourful, flowering bushes and trees of her garden.

Yet, in all of this beauty, the Empress Dowager had only sighs to accompany her silence as her meek servants waited on her in solemn quiet. No one dared utter a sound in fear of disrupting the Empress Dowager's thoughts, choosing instead to focus all of their energy onto clearing a safe path for the mother of the ruler of their country.

However, in all those watchfulness, these numerous pairs of eyes failed to spot the thin thread of wire that plotted out the entire greenery and path in a wicked little grid.

And that was their downfall.

"哇呀!/ Ahh!"

Astonished cries escaped lips, breaking the once heavy silence that weighed in the garden.

Maids and eunuchs suddenly tripped and were sent sprawling all over the gravel path, toppling and off setting each other in their closely spaced parade, creating an entire chain of dominoes, narrowly missing the Empress Dowager who stood grounded in shock.

Clutching at the rough bark of the branch, laughter wrecked her tiny frame as her entire body shook with the force of her mirth, threatening to loosen her hold or put her off balance, at the sight of the maids and eunuchs toppling like bowling pins straight through the Empress Dowager's garden and right in front of the lady herself.

Moans and groans echoing through the open space only served to push her amusement one step further.

Finally, the young girl decided that her anonymous torment was past necessary and that it was time to reveal her makings behind this mess.

Never one for giving up a chance at dramatic entrances, Qiu Xin dropped down from above at the last moment, while the Empress Dowager was staring in speechless horror at the chaos about her.

A mischievous smile stretched across her face as she said, hand resting on her little hip, "姥姥，你可否想念秋心呀?/ Have you missed Qiu Xin, Nana?"

The Empress Dowager pointed at the source of the disruption who was grinning wickedly at the mess she had made, holding her handkerchief over her heart.

"你… 你…/ You… You…"

Finally she sighed, relenting as she shook her head with a resigned smile lighting her wrinkled face.

"我可是真服了你这小精灵了. 你们全都给我退下吧./ I take my hat off to you, you little rascal. You all are dismissed."

She gestured at the groaning and moaning servants around her who answered her order weakly before picking themselves out and scrambling out of reach of the havoc wreaking princess.

Turning her sharp gaze on the young girl, she invited,"来，配奶奶坐着./ Come, sit with Granny for a while."

The Empress Dowager patted the spot beside her and Qiu Xin eagerly bounded over to occupy it.

Beaming, the young girl preached hilariously, "看，姥姥，只要笑一笑，心情就可变多好了!/ See, Nana, you look so much better already! Like they say, a smile a day keeps the doctor away!"

Sighing again, the Empress Dowager reminiscenced, "哎，这皇宫呀，这几年来，都没什么可欢笑了. 看阿玛那样，你额娘也那样，真是让人心疼呀./ Well, there hasn't been much reason to smile in this palace these recent years. Look at your Father and Mother. What a pity…"

Huffing self righteously, Qiu Xin remarked angrily, "哼，他们有什么好可怜那的! 他们不是不理我，就是怪罪我，骂我，从来都没对着我笑过! 尤其是阿玛! 他整天都呆在那房间里，在哪儿发呆. 然后额娘见了也变得情绪恶劣，反正最后就是搞得每个人都不开心啦!/ Pity? How are they pitiful? They either ignore me or lecture me and they've never even smiled at me! Not once! Especially Father! He only sits in that room all day in a daze! And when Mother sees him like that, _her_ mood worsens and then everyone's unhappy in the end!"

A melancholic smile carved the soft planes of her aged countenance.

Stroking her lustrous black locks gently, she began tiredly, the resigned words that left her lips draining more strength out of her than possible, "你阿玛和你额娘啊...他们不是坏人，只是两个心碎的人罢了./ Your Mother and Father... They're not bad people, just two heart broken souls."

Lifting her free hand, she placed it over her small hand, patting it lightly as she looked the pouting girl in the eye, soothingly persuading, "所以啊，秋心，你也别太怪罪于他们./ So, Qiu Xin, don't be so quick to judge them."

Still sulking, the child determinedly avoided her wizened gaze, content in letting her own gold flecked irises drift until they fell upon a chess board nearby. A bright idea struck her as brillant chestnut orbs lit up.

Bounding off her sit, she pounced upon her savior. Skipping back to the Empress Dowager, she carried the bamboo board with ease, an impish grin painting her childish features, which the Empress Dowager returned with a knowing light in her aged eyes.

"姥姥，有兴致和秋心来一盘围棋呢?/ Nana, are you up for a game of chess?"

Chortling merrily, the Empress Dowager met her playful eyes with a mock stern gaze, declaring her stand, "是想挑战奶奶是吗? 好啊，随时奉陪. / Is that a challenge? Alright, give it your best shot."

Giggling, Qiu Xin set down her playing piece confidently, making the first move, teasing slightly, "姥姥，输了可别赖账喔!/ No backing out, alright, Nana?"

Laughter continued to escape her like bubbles as she followed and matched her granddaughter's moves step by step, choosing to nod her head simply without uttering a single word.

A devilish glint lit her doe like russet orbs as Qiu Xin mapped out her winning move cunningly.

Spying a scheme in the works, the Empress Dowager went overtime trying to beat the youngling into admitting defeat, coming down hard and heavy on her.

Always the persistent one, Qiu Xin resisted till the end.

Just a little bit more… Just a little…

Ah ha!

Grinning victoriously, Qiu Xin relished in triumph as she watched her grandmother fall into her trap.

Turning, her devious gaze on her, Qiu Xin announced proudly as she made her final success official, "姥姥，您输了! 认赌服输吧! 将!/ Nana, you've lost! Admit it! Checkmate!"

Staring incredulously at the chess board, the Empress Dowager blinked owlishly. Since when had her little granddaughter improved so much?

Pinning her awed gazed back on the exultant girl, she realised she should not have been surprised. After all, this was Yong Qi and Zhi Hua's daughter in question. It was a given that their genius had been passed on.

Laughing resignedly, she admitted her loss graciously, watching as the young girl danced her way across the room in her boundless joy at finally having beaten her long time opponent.

The Empress Dowager could not stop the lament from leaving her lips, "如果你是个男孩儿，那该多好呀. 可惜呀，可惜…/ If only you were born a boy… Such a pity…"

Nothing escaping her sharp ears, Qiu Xin swiveled back onto her grandmother, questioning quizzically, "姥姥，你刚刚又说了些什么吗?/ Did you say something, Nana?"

In the face of her adorably confused expression, the Empress Dowager denied convincingly, "没什么，没什么…/ Nothing, nothing much…"

***PR***

"为什么，为什么，为什么?/ Why, why, why?"

A soft sigh escaped her lips as she looked up from the doodle that she had been entertaining herself with as she replied monotonously, a thoroughly bored expression drawn upon her youthful countenance, "我不知道，我不知道，我不知道./ I don't know, I don't know, I don't know."

Pouting, the sulking child kick at the air before him, whining, "可是为什么吗? 姐姐每次出门也都不带我出去的… 怎么老是这样吗!/ But whyyy? Jie Jie never brings me along when she goes out… It's so unfair!"

Still not completely attentive, she agreed dazedly, "是啊，怎么每次这样吗… 总是雨蝶有机会出去逛逛，而我都得呆在府上照顾小少爷…/ Yeah, it's so unfair… Why is always Yu Die who gets the chance to go out and have fun while I'm always stuck taking care of the young master…"

Huffing, the child lamented loudly, little cheeks puffing out in irritation, "晚霞姐姐! 你根本就没有再听我说话嘛!/ Wan Xia Jie Jie! You're not even listening to me!"

Waving a hand dismissingly, "有，有，我有在听嘛./ Yes, yes, I am listening."

Turning to examine the book laid out before the young boy, she lectured, "少爷，您还在摸索什么? 您才读到第几页! 等会儿小姐回来了又要怪罪晚霞没好好让小少爷念书了! 您还不尽快!/ Young Master! What are you dallying for? You've hardly even touched the book! When Young Lady comes back, she is going to blame me for not helping you study, Young Master! Focus!"

Groaning, the young boy allowed his head to hit the book rested upon the table heavily with a loud thud.

***PR***

Throwing her hands out, Xia Ying closed her eyes as she took in a deep breath of the spicy, tangy taste of the marketplace, exclaiming, "啊! 好久都没出门了!/Ahh… It's been too long since I've been out."

Giggling, Yu Die teased her mistress, "晓严，你这样也太引人注目吧!/ Xiao Yan, don't you think you're being a bit too conspicuous now?"

Unveiling her dancing brown eyes, she proclaimed in an airy tone, with a mischievous smile, "我管不着了! 反正我这身打扮也不会被别人认出的，爹娘也知道我今天出门阿，所以我也没什么好担心的!/ Well, I can't care less! No one actually recognizes me in this disguise now and both Mom and Dad know I'm coming out today, so I don't have anything to worry about anyway!"

Walking on with a skip in her step, she took in the sights of the hustle and bustle around her eagerly, like child exploring his or her new toy.

Shaking her head lightly at her mistress's childlike behavior, Yu Die followed along behind in a more sedate manner.

Xia Ying reveled in the simplicity of life around her – the way the widowed lady patronized the long term bachelor shop keeper, shyly peeking at the red washed planes of his countenance while he self-consciously avoided her eyes, both with silly grins decorating them; the way the dirt smudged children with skin as brown as berries weaved in and out of the crowd flawlessly screaming and shouting joyfully; the way the softly giggling young ladies gossiped about the apples of their eye, the honest, down-to-earth men that had caught their eye as they furtively stole glances at them around the corner of the wall.

These were the people that mattered. These were the people that made this empire one. These were the people who deserved best that was possible. And she would make sure that happened.

Yu Die could not resist the tugging of the prideful smile attacking the corners of her lips. She could pretty much guess the thoughts that were occurring her mistress and for that, she felt an immense sense gratification overwhelm her. That soft smile on her delicate features just sent her heart singing.

Hints of a commotion filtered by as strings of people rushed to check out the fuss. Excitement leapt out and soared over her heart, drawing Xia Ying like bee to honey, thoughts of a street performance at the front of her mind.

Feeling the thrill rising up like a tidal wave within her, Xia Ying cried spiritedly with a wild grin in hand as she gestured for her companion to follow, "快! 我们也去瞧瞧吧!/Come on! Let's go have a look too!"

Yu Die sighed helplessly as she chased her wayward charge. How could her mistress seem so mature one moment and childish another? Well, one thing for sure, there was no way of taming her attraction to adventure, even the dangerous kind.

The two wedged into the throngs that had gathered, with Yu Die struggling to keep her hold on Xia Ying in the swimming crowd, who, though absorbed she was, still maintained a firm grip on Yu Die's hand.

A keen wailing stung the air, growing louder and clearer as Xia Ying closed in onto the heart of the turmoil. Fear and horror clutched at her heart as a terrible sense of foreboding tormented her.

"我们的房子呀… 我们的家… 全部就这样全毁了，都没了…/ Our house… Our home… Everything just gone… Burnt to nothing…"

A family of three stood huddled before the flaming ruins, sooty faces lined with wet tear streaks as they grieved the loss of their properties, the mother hugging her two sobbing children as mourned pitifully.

Others of similar wretched state marked the perimeter of the crumbling wreck. The various families basked in the completeness of their members yet their relief was tinted with such similar sorrow for their tangible physical losses.

Xia Ying's heart spluttered disbelievingly in a sea of grief as she watched their unadulterated wretchedness laid out in the open. She was struck hard by the promise she had just repeated earlier and her determination solidified.

She would help these people. And she would do that with her own two hands.

Yu Die was equally as affected by the now homeless people's sorrow and she was sure that her sensitive mistresses would be feeling at least double the emotion.

Spying the expression on her face, however, Yu Die's pride was now tinted with a heavy sense of dread.

She smothered her own countenance in her fingers as she groaned, "又是那眼神! 糟糕，麻烦即将降临了…/ I know that expression… Trouble's coming…"

* * *

Review please?


	4. A Sense of Foreboding

Glancing left and right suspiciously, she crept out through the tiny gap of the slightly ajar doors, then gesturing for her maid to follow. The heavy laden girl clumsily tumbled out, nearly toppling her load of pristine white scrolls of the highest quality and glass jars of ink of the best grade.

Wincing at the clamor she was creating, Xia Ying hissed, "小心点! 不能惊动爹娘!/ Careful! We can't afford to alert Mom and Dad!"

"夏颖，你想去哪儿?/ Xia Ying, where do you think you're going?"

Xia Ying jumped out of her skin, her already racing heart thundering after the mild shock as she turned around to face her parents, who were standing before the now widely open main doors.

Guilt spilled out through her seams as she regarded them with a nervous grin.

"我… 我… 我是想出去一下啦! 去… 去… 就是去看，那个，你们知道的啦!/ Erm, I… I… I just wanted to go out for a while! To… To… To go see you know, uh huh!"

Sighing at her antics, the Lady Tang wearily asked, "去哪儿呀?/ And where exactly is that?"

Xia Ying kept her gaze locked bashfully upon the tips of her silk embroidery shoes, awaiting her parents' judgment humbly, even though she knew they would let her have her way in the end.

She was not surprised when Xia Ying was unable to answer her question. This was not the first time this was happening and, she accepted resignedly, it was not going to be the last. Thankfully, though, her suspicious endeavors were dedicated to a good cause, she was glad to say.

A heavy sigh escaped her father as well, making his wrinkles seem more deeply set than ever as he resignedly remarked, "算了，快去吧./ Forget it, just go."

She knew this would happen yet Xia Ying could not stop the apologetic look she sent her parents, conveying both her guilt and slight regret.

" 别在门口磨蹭了 ，多不成体统啊,/ What are you still dawdling in the doorway for? Do you know how unbecoming this is?" Lady Tang chided, her brows creased together in a deep furrow.

Meekly, Xia Ying uttered a soft yes, though she knew her mother was more worried than angry. After all, she did have valid reasons for her concern and as they say, one never does stop being a mother.

Sending the abruptly very wearily aged couple a little, sad parting wave, she and her maid set off for their destination – the marketplace.

"小姐，您确定这样做没关系吗?/ Missy, are you sure it's alright to do this?" Wan Xia questioned unsurely, her voice slightly muffled behind her large pile.

Shaking her head, Xia Ying relieved the poor struggling girl by taking some of her load, saying, "让我来吧./ Here, let me take that."

Hefting her load with the grace and balance of an experienced dancer, she remarked, in response to Wan Xia's previous question, "更何况，你认为我们有其他选择吗? 我们已经没在干什么犯法或丢人现眼的事了./ Besides, what else do you suggest we do? We're not doing anything illegal or shameful, you know."

Helplessness coating her words, Wan Xia shrugged as much as she could as she responded, "我知道，可是… 还是觉得有些不妥…/ I know but… this still doesn't seem right…"

Sighing, the young girl stated forlornly, "不妥也得妥，我们只能这么做了./ Even so, we still have to go through with it. We only have these few choices."

Reconciled with her mistress's temperament, the maid replied lightly, grinning cheekily, "反正小姐意已决，是不会改的! 唉，真不知道你这牛脾气是从哪儿来的…/ Seeing how your mind is already made up, I would be wasting my breath if I tried to persuade you otherwise. Ahhh, I simply can't see how the Lord and Lady could have produced such a mule-headed child!"

***PR***

"I'm not going anywhere. /我那儿都不去."

The softly uttered words were also stolen by the wind. Frustrated, Er Kang could not hold back the low growl in his throat. Yong Qi was being stubborn. And he knew it.

"Yong Qi, we've discussed this before. You're going with us, no matter you want to or not. And that is final,/ 永琪，这事我们已经商讨过了. 你这次去定了，由不得你来做主," Qian Long announced stiffly, thoroughly aggravated by his zombie of a son.

Yong Qi merely gazed determinedly back at him, refusing to bow down to the country's most powerful man: his father.

The long hard years were unforgiving on this particular man, leaving long ruts and harsh lines on his weary countenance. His eyes, sad and dull, spoke of too many burdens, too much pain then he would have liked. A twinge of guilt sparked in Yong Qi's heart. But he decisively stamped it out. He needed Xiao Yan Zi.

"It's still my choice. And I refuse./ 这件事还是的由我来决定，而我决定拒绝."

Ignoring the matching expressions of ire on their faces, he continued unremorsefully, "I appreciate your good intentions but I'm sorry. I'm not going./ 你们的好意，永琪心领了，但是我还是的拒绝你们的这番好意."

With that finale word, Yong Qi turned on his heels and left the emperor of China gaping at his retreating back.

***PR***

"It's a very reasonable price already, sir, considering the quality of our supplies. Look at this, sir, look at this! Do you think these supplies come cheap?/价格已经算很不错了，公子。您看看，您看看呀！这种上等货色往哪儿去找？"

Grumbling miserably under his breath, the well dressed customer reluctantly handed over the stated price.

Beaming brightly, Xia Ying chirped loudly, "Thank you for patroning our store! Please do come again!/ 多谢光顾！下次欢迎您再来！"

Scowling at the duo, the man snatched over the scroll from Wan Xia's offering hands, wiping it gently with a sleeve as he glared at them once again. Once sure that his precious good was perfect, the man harrumphed, turning around and marching off arrogantly.

Once his back was turned, the overly saccharine smile smeared upon her delicate features vanished without a hint, replaced by her scrunched up features tinted with disgust as she stuck her tongue out at his retreating back.

"Who does he think he is? How dare he doubt the great Xia Ying's ability!/ 他是什么东西啊? 竟敢怀疑本小姐的本领?" Xia Ying huffed heatedly, crossing her arms over her chest, her cheeks flushed crimson with indignation.

Giggling slightly, Wan Xia teased, "He must not know it is the great Tang family's only daughter that is selling these goods, or else he wouldn't dare offend you, my lady. / 他一定不知道是您，堂堂唐家的大家闺秀，在这销售这些字画，否则岂敢冒犯大小姐您呢?"

Pink tinted her cheeks as Xia Ying detected the playful tone of her lady-in-waiting's voice.

Putting on a front, Xia Ying declared loudly, "It's not as if I'm committing arson or murdering, Wan Xia. This is an honorable line of work and I refused to feel ashamed of myself because of it!/ 我又不是在纵火谋杀，也没什么好羞愧的!"

Any intent of mischief was erased off Wan Xia's face as she contemplated her mistress's next step. Worry creased the space between her brows as she voiced her concern.

"But, my lady, are you sure about working in _that_ place? You know that the Master and Lady wouldn't be very pleased if they were to find out…/ 可是，小姐，你确定你要在哪儿赚钱吗? 恐怕老爷夫人发现了会不高兴呢!"

A dose of panic laced her voice. She really only had her lady's best interest at heart.

Sighing, Xia Ying replied, "As I said, it's not a shameful livelihood, Wan Xia. It's simply the people's notions surrounding the job that are shameful. Besides, it's not like I'm going to show my face or anything, so you can't say anything about it being improper for a lady of my position./ 我都说了，晚霞，做这份行业也并没什么好羞愧的，只是人们爱胡思乱想罢了. 更何况，我有不会在那儿透露身份，你也不能说我太抛头露面了."

Reluctantly, Wan Xia agreed with her mistress. After all, who was she to argue against her?

***PR***

Zi Wei sighed tiredly, fatigue urging her to rest. She flopped wearily upon her bed, where she was soon joined by her husband. She had spent a whole day with the hyperactive princess, Qiu Xin Ge Ge, and was dead beat from her crazy antics. Zi Wei could not hold back the rueful smile tugging at her lips at that thought. She was just too much like Xiao Yan Zi sometimes.

Chuckling, Er Kang teased as he soothingly caressed her smooth cheek, "I take your day with the infamous Qiu Xin Ge Ge went well? You look completely worn out. / 你和秋心格格也相处得不错吧? 你看起来累坏了."

Sighing a little, Zi Wei replied wearily as she leant gratefully into his touch, "A little too well I suppose. How about you? I take it Huang Ah Ma wasn't very accommodating with Yong Qi's attitude?/ 好象也相处得有点太好了.你呢? 相信皇阿玛对永琪的态度也没那么包含吧?"

Echoing her fatigue laden sigh, Er Kang despondently mumbled, "Don't even start on it. He was being especially mule-headed today. He wouldn't even let Huang Ah Ma get two words in sideways before he just up and left. / 别提了. 他今天比往常更固执. 皇阿玛还没说了两句他就掉头走了."

Zi Wei returned her husband's comforting gesturing, letting her soft hands stroke his tired countenance.

"Well, the good news is, Father's old friend has agreed to house us for a few days at his residence. Which means… We'll actually get a chance to meet some new people. I heard he has a daughter around our age and also a son. It'll be a good chance for Yong Qi to mix around with some new characters. /唯一的好消息是皇阿玛的老朋友已经回复了，答应让我们在他的府上小住几天. 听说他有个年级和我们相差不远的女儿和一位小公子，希望会和我们大伙儿谈得来. 相信，这也对永琪来说会是一件好事吧?"

Er Kang's dull orbs sparkled with a shred of hope as he passed on the relatively good piece of news, seeking some of confirmation in his soul mate's brown eyes.

She let the small smile fighting to be released emerge a little as she said in response, "I guess so…/ 也许吧..."


	5. New Ventures

"Look! Look! What is that? Why is so colourful? Why is everyone so excited? What are they looking at? What are those people shouting?" Qiu Xin fired question after question at rapid speed as she gestured animatedly, unable to contain her overwhelming excitement.

Her travelling companions could only chuckle in amusement at her obvious enthusiasm.

Perched restlessly on the edge of her seat, the little princess left most of her upper half dangling precariously out of the little window as she drunk in the boisterous sights and sounds hungrily. Her dark orbs flickered wildly from one end to the other, devouring the refreshingly chaotic and bustling marketplace greedily. Bouncing on the balls of the feet, she eagerly shoved herself out further, desperate to get a closer look only to be met with resistance as a sharp tug from behind sent her reeling back inside.

"Qiu Xin, we're about to get off already so be good and stay still. Don't pick up that bad habit of yours again. /秋心，我们都快下马车了，就给我安安分分地坐好，别又犯了你这性急的毛病了."

Pouting, the little girl whined in protest, "But Nana, there's so much to see! / 可是，可是，这实在是好多好多的新鲜玩耶尔呀! 秋心还没看个痛快呀，姥姥!"

The Empress Dowager tapped the little girl lightly on the tip of her nose as she tried to fix the fidgeting child with a stern glare. Her reproaching stance, however, was lost when the little princess simply wrinkled her tiny button nose in response and attempted to stare down the length of it, creating a comical expression in the process.

She could not help it. She laughed.

"Qiu Xin, oh, Qiu Xin, you this little imp! What am I supposed to do with you?/ 秋心啊，秋心啊，真是拿你这丫头没法儿!" she exclaimed exasperatedly, the endearing look adorning her well worn features showing clearly that she held no real intent in her lament.

Grinning mischievously, she declared boldly, "Spoil me of course!/ 那是因为 姥姥、爷爷都这么爱我、疼我呀!"

"And you dare say so! It's because we've spoilt you too much already that you're able to wreck so much havoc, you little devil! /你知道就好! 你这淘气鬼，老是仗着长辈们的宠爱干尽坏事!" the emperor dowager chided lightly, wagging a finger in the princess's face.

Giggling, Qiu Xin flashed her playful brown orbs at the elderly woman as she cheekily replied, "Only a bit, Nana, only a bit! /秋心那儿敢当呀，姥姥!"

Abruptly, a clear, ringing voice that stood out from the rest of the noise shattered her focus as it reached the little princess's sharp ears.

"来阿，来阿! 快来看看呀! 全城最价廉，最出色的字画，都在这! 快来看看呀，来看看!/Come, come, have a look at the best and most reasonable paintings and calligraphy in town!"

Gasping, the little girl trilled, brilliant onyx orbs shining with glee, "Nana, do you hear that? Grandpa's birthday's coming up soon and he loves calligraphy! I do hope it's any good!/ 姥姥! 您听见了吗? 皇爷爷生辰快到了，而他最爱的是字画了!"

Without waiting for a reply, she once again fearlessly stuck her head out, determined to the source of her interest.

At this, the emperor dowager chuckled once more. A leopard would never change its spots.

* * *

"来阿，来阿! 快来看看呀! 全城最价廉，最出色的字画，都在这! 快来看看呀，来看看!/Come, come, have a look at the best and most reasonable paintings and calligraphy in town!"

Yu Die stiffly repeated her lines, her heart long since shifted its focus, as she held up a few of her lady's best samples for a better look. She had religiously kept to the routine since the early hours of the day and the novelty of the action had worn off long ago. Her attentions, however, had found a better target: Her young lady.

"Oh, my lady, I hope you're not stirring up any trouble like you tend to right now… /小姐啊，希望你此时此刻还没惹出什么祸端来 了…"

* * *

That voice!

It was plucking painfully at her heartstrings which were echoing a faint tune in response.

A burning desire to peek out from behind the screen engulfed her, drowning out the beautiful strumming of the zither before her, the words of her own melody fading away as everything was reduced solely to that achingly familiar voice and the pounding of her own blood rushing in her ears.

She lost consciousness of what she was doing, the movements her fingers were stiffly reproducing and the notes her throat were robotically mimicking, all of her senses narrowing down to that one source, driving her desperately to float several inches above the seat of the chair, possessed by her strong yearning. Her neck stretched out, craning to hover above the frame of the screen which seemed so far away right then.

That gravelly, baritone echoed incessantly in the open space that had cleared in her heart. His deep, rumbling laugh radiated such a loving and benevolent vibe that it was tempting to simply melt into a puddle of gooey happiness.

At last, she settled for a tiny gap between the edges of two screens and through that, caught sight of the owner of that regal voice. He was a man of imposing stature, with a solid built but of course, there were signs too of great fortune in his slight overlapping chin and stubby fingers. Yet, he carried himself with the air of nobility, his head held high and powerful voice that demanded attention/ compelling. Even so, she felt a warm sense of kinship in his deeply carved laughter lines, with his thick mustache decorating his upper lip.

And that single glimpse sent all the sights, sounds and scents rushing back to her, filling her like a tidal wave.

"This way please, sir./ 贵客，这边情."

A single voice struck her crystal clear, as the image of its bearer filtered into her line of sight, directing a bunch of wealthy looking customers to the centre of the restaurant, in clear view and hearing of her, as usual. Xia Ying could not resist the urge to roll her eyes. Of course. She could guess what was coming next.

"And over there would be our restaurant's most famous songstress. Please enjoy./ 而在哪儿就是我们如意楼最有名的歌姬，请各位慢慢欣赏" the man announced with pride, gesturing towards the myriads of screens in one corner, where the vague shadow of a lady was blearily imprinted upon the thin rice paper.

The group, which she abruptly realised, included the regal man she had spotted, turned their sights to her at the restaurant owner's gesture in her direction. The imposing man turned his intense gaze n her.

Heart pounding fiercely, Xia Ying ducked away from the tiny peep hole and tried to focus her attention back to her song. Her still drumming heart seemed unwilling to cooperate as beads of sweat rolled upon her porcelain skin. Her trembling fingers fumbled through the notes clumsily while she frantically willed them to obey her. The words stuck in her throat, convulsing on the emotion that had swept her off her feet.

She could feel his eyes on her, his unimpressed tone as he said, "Oh? Is that so?/ 噢?是吗?"

Peeking out that little hole again, she saw how he had turned his back on her and was conversing with a group of beautiful and equally regal looking group of people while the owner had been sent away to be called upon when his assistance was required again and was throwing a worried frown in her direction.

Resigned disappointment washed over her at his easy dismissal. A profound melancholy descended upon her like a cloud. Riding on that wave of emotion, she felt herself smoothly transgressing to a new song, a lost emotion stirring in her.

"回忆当初，多少柔情深深种,"

(Recalling how much tender feelings were sown at the beginning)

She recalled a time where she fallen into such an unknown endless pit of depression her only means of release were through her songs. And this one was the one that had incited her darkest emotions.

"多少往事点点滴滴竟成空,"

(How many past events vaporised in the end)

Her chest tightened, the ball of emotion that knitted there cutting off her airways as she rasped out the words painfully, genuinely pouring the sentiments the song spoke off into her tune.

"千丝万缕化作心头无穷痛…"

(All the good memories have just become a source of pain)

Unbeknown to her, an awed silence come over the self same man Xia Ying had locked sights upon, as well as his entire party, along with the rest of the lunch crowd packed at the well known restaurant, as they sat at their table, positioned at a central view of the whole restaurant. The emotions in the unknown songstress's melody were so raw that they chafed at their souls, spawning echoes of her wistful woe within them.

Memories of Xiao Yan Zi evoked by this weeping, mournful strain threatened to drown him in his sorrow. So palpable was his grief he could feel it tightening like a knot around his chest, squeezing excruciatingly. He welcomed it like an old friend, burying himself in its frequent accomplices, Guilt and Blame, who threw accusations and insults at him mercilessly. He bore them willingly.

The song faded away and the trance broke along with it.

Briefly shaking himself, the emperor seemed to have awoken himself from a deep slumber, casting his yet to be focused gaze around the room before finally landing upon the set up of screens.

"我说，刚刚那歌姬还真是挺有两下子的吗./ My, I must say, that was some song, wasn't it?" the Emperor stated, his words laced with clear approval and admiration.

At this, the equally impressed Zi Wei and Er Kang snapped out of their trances and exchanged wary glances. The situation seemed like an ill-boding mirror of the previous upheaval at Xi Hu(West Lake).

Their fears were further renewed as the Emperor beckoned the store owner back to their table, with the Empress Dowager looking upon this with equal horror while the rest watched, none bold enough to voice their thoughts, with bated breath.

"老板，刚刚那歌姬叫什么名字? 我可否见见她?"/ Who was that songstress? Can I meet her?"

Glancing back at the now vacated center stage, the store owner pointed knowingly at the empty space, a sly grin on his face as he spoke, eying the emperor's meaningfully, "您只'银光'吗? 每个来到这的客官都会问同样的问题，但是抱歉，对于银光的身份，我可是无法透露./ Are you talking about 'Silver Light', sir? Every customer who visits our humble restaurant would ask the exact same question. But I'm sorry, sir, I'm in no position to divulge her identity."

While his tone was coated with the slightest bit of gloating, he seemed sincere enough, though his words were already a huge relieve to all the members seated at the table as most released a sigh.

Continuing unexpectedly, the man offered, "不过，我可以试试问她，看她可否有兴趣和贵客在教隐秘的地方碰碰面./ But… I could bring up to her and see if she's interested in meeting you."

The Emperor's countenance brightened up immediately.

"Hurry on then!/ 那就快去吧!" Qian Long urged eagerly, the familiar compelling tone of authority slipping back into his voice easily.

Zi Wei shot Er Kang a distressed look which Er Kang returned with an equally alarmed expression.

Smiling a little too knowingly at his response, the man sauntered back around the partition, casting a long shadow on the pristine white material. The members of the table all watched with bated breath as the inky figure bumbled about clumsily behind the thin material, before emerging alone, a nonplussed expression lining his plain face.

Zi Wei breathed a tiny sigh of relief.


	6. Encounters

Outside, in the bright sunlight, Xia Ying leaned against a wall marked with grime and unidentifiable stains, shivering.

She could no longer stand a minute longer in that sorrowful atmosphere. The sudden, strange grief that tore at her heart was unfathomable. The only thing she could was to flee the scene, putting as much distance possible between her and those consuming feelings- eating her alive from the inside out.

Looking back, she was not sure exactly what had triggered that flurry of emotion, only that it had already been sown deep within her, forgotten and neglected.

Eager to leave the odd happenings and emotions far behind her, Xia Ying started on her way to reunite with her handmaid with a burdened heart.

* * *

A peculiar sense of disappointment clutched Yong Qi firmly in its grasp. He had been keen to match a face to the voice that managed to wash ashore the stubborn ghosts of his past. It had seemed so soothingly familiar, so much like the voice that haunted his every waking moment.

Suddenly, he found his appetite, both for the food before him and the human company that surrounded him, lost to him. He could no longer sit there and stomach all this without his beloved by his side.

He pushed away from the table, rejecting it all, as he said quietly, "对不起，皇阿玛，老佛爷，恕永琪不能和你们共度这餐. 请你们慢慢享受吧. /I'm sorry Huang Ah Ma, Lao Fou Ye, I don't think I can join you for this meal. Please enjoy the food without me."

As if chased by demons, Yong Qi fled the room, not even pausing to hear their replies.

Having been occupied by Qian Long's worrying interest in the songstress, both Zi Wei and Er Kang had both forgotten about Yong Qi's presence at the table. Zi Wei's gaze followed his rapidly vanishing form apprehensively, shrouded heavily as it was in the shadows of despair and felt a pang of sympathetic grief echoing in her own heart. She understood better than anyone else how the songstress's mournful song could have picked at so many a raw and festering wounds. Xiao Yan Zi had always loved hearing her play the zither, fluttering around her excitedly and joining in with her strong, melodious voice.

For a brief moment, a faint grin tugged at her lips at that image, before surrendering to the gravity of her sinking heart as she was dragged back to the present by a light pressure on her hand. Er Kang's concerned gaze sought her own as he grasped her hand in his, an unspoken question hanging between them. Zi Wei summoned a shaky smile then nodded in the direction Yong Qi had disappeared, encouraging him to give in to his obvious desire to check up on his desolate friend. Throwing one last troubled glance at his wife, Er Kang stood and excused himself from the table, quickly vanishing from sight with his even, broad strides. Turning her attention back to the table, Zi Wei could clearly see the dismay and apprehension clinging to the crevices of both Qian Long and Lao Fu Ye's aged countenances.

"That… That Yong Qi! What am I supposed to do with him?/ 这! 这… 永琪啊.. 咳… 真不知道该拿他怎么办呀!" Qian Long sputtered, both disappointment and anger floating in the undercurrent of worry in his wavering voice.

The fine lines carved into his weary mask suddenly seemed tenfold as a cloud washed over his bright twinkling eyes. A heavy sigh came forth, unbidden, from thickset lips that had seen more frowns than smiles in the recent years.

Zi Wei's heart sank. Her father seemed so much older all at once, having endured the toll of constant worry over his son, granddaughter and the entire country. Even after five excruciatingly long years, the shadow of Xiao Yan Zi's death still clung heavily to them all.

"Let's just dig in,/ 大家吃吧," Qian Long beckoned when he finally lifted his head, leaden with troubles, gaze flitting from face to face that sat around the table.

Abruptly, his thick brows tangled into a knot as his wandering eyes paused at a puzzlingly empty spot.

"Where's Qiu Xin?/ 秋心在那儿呢?"

* * *

A cherubic face poked out from behind the alley wall. Carefully, its adorning large, curious chestnut orbs scrutinized his surroundings, looking this way and that for some unknown trap. When he finally deemed it safe, a soft sigh of relief escaped his tiny pink lips, which was chased by a peal of light, tinkling giggles. The rest of his small frame that joined his equally diminutive countenance was quickly set to work, pattering down the alleyway to the bustling streets of the marketplace.

"Now that will show Jie Jie not to leave me behind while she goes out to have fun! I bet she's in for a big surprise when she catches sight of me!／姐姐想把我扔在家里，一个人出去玩? 哈！没那么容易! 她一会儿见着我可不大吃一惊! " he gleefully exclaimed to himself as he excitedly pushed his way through the crowd, sticking his head here and there.

The multitude of colors, voices and people here never failed to amaze him. His huge, round eyes greedily feasted on the sights surrounding him, shining with excitement.

"Ahh, I wonder if I'll have the luck to witness an acrobat or two performing today… /啊，不知道我今天可有运气碰上杂技团在表演呢?" the young boy mused to himself as he leisurely took in the rowdy scene.

An abrupt flash of brown caught his eye, sending his little heart thrumming with anticipation.

He reached out a chubby hand and latched onto an equally small but considerably frailer hand with surprisingly strength, eyes alit.

"Xiao Hei! Where are you rushing to? Is there a new acrobats troupe in town? /小黑! 你赶着去哪儿呢? 是不是杂技团又来了啊?" he pressed the little beggar zealously, words flying off his tongue.

"Oh! It's you, Xiao Jie! Haven't you heard? There's a new group of rich merchants in town and everyone's gathering to see if they're generous enough to spare us some food or money!/ 哦! 原来是你呀，小洁! 你没听说吗? 最近来了好几个富商，所以大家都想去碰碰运气，希望他们会施舍点食物或钱啊!" Xiao Hei exclaimed, clearly eager to join the crowd too.

A hint of a shadow soured his jubilant little visage at the harsh awakening to reality. That's right, harvest has been sparse in the recent years. Many have been reduced homeless as a result of these hard times.

"Are Li Jing, Rui Er and the rest there as well?/ 李靖，瑞儿他们也都去了吗?"

His grime smeared face bobbed up and down impatiently as he added, "Of course! I would've been there earlier too if Mum hadn't needed me to take care of the little ones. / 那还用说! 要不是娘叫我留着照顾弟妹，我也早就跟过去了!"

"Then what are we dwindling here for? Let's go!/ 那我们还在这里罗嗦什么？快走吧!"

* * *

"Hee hee hee…/嘻嘻嘻…"

A mischievous giggle bubbled forth from an equally impish young girl as she cast a last few furtive looks left and right. Triumph, however, was already greatly upon her for having evaded her keepers successfully.

Convinced that she had made her grand escape unnoticed, she at once started sauntering down the near forsaken corridor. She did not know exactly what was so special or entrancing about that lady's singing that had everyone captivated but if there was one thing she did know was a chance of getaway if she ever saw one. And she pounce on it she had.

Another exultant laugh burst from her as she recalled her victory. Now, she had the afternoon to herself for a bout of exploring. After all, the chances of her seeing the world beyond the forbidding palace were few and far between and see her fill she was now determined to do.

Now, to find someone to show her the way out to bustling streets waiting for her discover…

She caught a glimpse of a male boot disappearing around the corner and immediately jumped into the chase. Qiu Xin found herself having to pump her short, chubby legs faster and faster to match the lanky man's long strides.

Panting hard, she could not help but whine, "My god, why is he in such a hurry? /天啊，他这是赶着去投胎吗?"

Finally, he stopped before a room and Qiu Xin perked up at her chance to catch the elusive man at last, putting forth a final burst of speed. She refused to give up when the end was finally in sight!

Just when her hand was inches away from her goal, the man suddenly slipped into the room. Qiu Xin's first instinct was to rush head along into the room as well, but something stopped her just short of barging in. Peeking in through the gap between the doors instead, she caught sight of her father, sitting at the table in absolute silence, with a heavy cloud hanging over his head. The man stood just in front of Yong Qi, his back towards the peeping Qiu Xin. She gasped with both shock and relief.

Thank god she had not approached the man yet, whom she now recognized as her uncle, the princess consort, Er Kang. She would've been in for a big lecture! Qiu Xin was about to make a move to quietly slip away before awareness descended upon the two men, but she felt herself being drawn to the conversation as Er Kang spoke.

"永琪，都五年了… 你也不应该再责怪自己了, 那并不是你能阻止得了的… /Yong Qi… It's been five years now. You should stop punishing yourself for something you could not control. Xiao Yan Zi wouldn't have wanted you to become like this, you know that," Er Kang softly said, voice soothing as if speaking to a frightened child.

Yong Qi's heart throbbed with a searing mix of regret, pain and guilt. His knuckles bleached a pasty white as he tightened his grip on the table before him, like it was his last thread of sanity.

"你什么也不懂, /You don't know that," he whispered hauntingly, eyes glazed over as he slowly shook his head, "你根本就不明白! /YOU DON'T KNOW THAT!"

The teacup shattered with a spectacular crash, punctuating his emotional upheaval as he leapt to his feet. Yong Qi glared viciously at Er Kang, chest rising and falling rapidly with emotion.

Jabbing a finger at his own heart, Yong Qi growled, "是我！是我不肯相信她，是我背弃了她，是我伤透了她的心，把她逼出皇宫，是我害死了她！_I _was the one who refused to trust her words, _I _was the one who abandoned her in favor of Zhi Hua, _I _was the one who broke her heart and drove her to run out of the palace and to her death!"

By this time, wet trails already lined Yong Qi's haggard and tired countenance.

Qiu Xin was frozen, utterly shocked. She had never seen such a great display of emotion from her father_. Ever_. He had been a living puppet as far as she knew- no feelings, no change of expression, nothing except him and that stupid room. Which according to the maids and eunuchs, belonged to the famous (or infamous, depending on who you asked) Princess Huan Zhu. Coming to think about it, there wasn't much she knew about said princess except that her grandfather had adopted her from the streets of Beijing and she was her father's first wife. Everyone seemed to be so tight-lipped when it came to this mysterious princess!

Curiosity overwhelmed her, washing away her caution as she eagerly pushed her ear closer. In her haste, she overestimated the distance between herself and the door, hence hitting the door frame and falling head first into the room.

"Ow! My poor head!/ 哎呀! 我这可怜的脑袋瓜啊!" she groaned from her close encounter with the floor.

Qiu Xin suddenly registered an ominous silence in the wake of her pain and snapped her gaze up. She gulped. Two pairs of angry eyes met her panicked ones and she quickly mustered a weak smile.

"Opps?/对不起?"

Needlessly to say, Qiu Xin had been thrown out after being thoroughly chewed out by her uncle about what constituted as good manners _and eavesdropping most certainly did not_. She had quietly endured, head bowed, the perfect picture of a contrite youth as swore to herself to be more careful the next time. No way was she going to stop listening in! They kept way too much from her just because they thought she was _only a child_. Just before a massive pout was about to ruin her awarding-winning repentant, docile child act, her uncle finally let her off the hook and she rapidly scurried off. She would find out about the elusive Huan Zhu Ge Ge another time. Now, it was more important that she fled before uncle realized she should not be wandering off on her own!

Back inside the room, Yong Qi could only stare at the swiftly disappearing back of his daughter. God, she was so much like the love of his life, he thought with a painful twist of his heart. His knuckles were bleached a pasty white as he unconsciously clenched a fistful the tablecloth.

Er Kang seemed to be having similar thoughts, a bittersweet smile gracing his features.

Shaking his head, Er Kang chuckled tiredly and declared, "I better go chase down that little troublemaker, make sure she doesn't stir up another mess again!/ 我去看看那个闯祸精，别让她又搞出什么烂摊子给我们收拾!"

Yong Qi's only answer was silence, which drew yet another sigh from Er Kang's lips. Resigned, the lanky man removed himself from the room to pursue his other charge, only to stop dead in his tracks after a few steps with a groan.

"Now, where did she disappear to again?/ 那小精灵又消失到哪儿去了?"

* * *

"Wow! It's so lively out here!/哇! 这里还真热闹啊!" Qiu Xin muttered to herself, wonderment shining brightly in large onyx orbs that flitted from one point of interest to another restlessly.

Her short eager legs devoured the length of the street greedily, regardless of the hoards of towering adults that swarmed around her in their morning shopping. No one paid more than a fleeting glance to the child weaving among their feet despite her tellingly exquisite clothes, for she was just as soon another tiny figure lost in the crowd.

This was all to her great fortune, for when Er Kang had slipped through the back exit soon after Qiu Xin, he found himself futilely peering through the throng for a shadow of the little imp. His anxiety swelled with each passing minute as he tried to desperately slice a path through the mob in an attempt to trace her path.

However, the girl in question remained blissfully oblivious as he hungrily drank in the scents and sounds she was so rarely exposed to in her sheltered home. In fact, she was so caught up in her sight seeing that she failed to realized she had circled back to the front entrance of the inn, only noticing the growing mob before her with swelling curiosity and delight.

"这么多人，肯定是有好玩的东西！也来让本小姐见识见识一下！/ I never seen such a crowd! They must be watching something exciting! Let me have a look too…" the little girl exclaimed before proceeding to attempt to squeeze her way through the throng.

Sticking her bottom lip out in petulant pout, the tiny princess stamped her feet before stubbornly renewing her efforts to push apart the surging masses without success. All of a sudden, the man before her swayed backwards and threw Qiu Xin off balance. Caught unaware, the little girl landed on her butt with a squeal of surprise.

"Hey! Are you alright? /你没事吧？" A voice rang out, before a small, tanned hand appeared in Qiu Xin's line of sight.

She felt a rush of blood flooding her little cheeks as a flare of embarrassment-induced irritation erupted within her. Ignoring the offered hand, she picked herself up and remaining pieces of her pride as she replied curtly without looking up, "我没事/I'm fine."

Unbothered by her attitude, the young boy before her grinned brightly as he chirped, "我没见过你，你应该是商人家的孩子吧！要和我们一起玩吗？/I've never seen you around before. You must be from a family of travelling businessmen! Do you want to play with us?"

Piqued by the offer of playmates, Qiu Xin glanced up and saw a boy around her age dressed in worn but clean clothes with a friendly, open smile adorning his round face. Taking her silence as acceptance, the boy latched onto her hand and started pulling her along enthusiastically. A slightly shocked Qiu Xin could only along herself to be helplessly led around by the boy who turned back with a grin.

"走我带你去找我朋友！我叫洁儿，你呢？/Come, let's go meet my friends! I'm Jie Er; what's your name?"

* * *

_I'm so sorry it took me two years to update this... I honestly didn't realise it's been that long cause life has gotten kinda crazy. Plus, I had quite a few kinks in the plot to figure out and that took me a while too. But I felt so guilty that I immediately uploaded this once I had almost everything figured out so be prepared to wait a while for the next update. If anyone's still reading this that is. _

_Rest assured __though, I will complete this story no matter how long it takes. I'm now finding my way back to creative writing after having abandoned it for so long and it's really such fun to write this after writing became a very stressful job. Plus, I really missed you guys and I'm sorry to all my reviewers who I never got around to replying. Hope this was a good read for y'all. Some of you will probably be disappointed with how little Xia Ying appears in this chapter but don't worry you'll see lots of her in the next one. I think. Besides, I think it's very important to build up your secondary characters so that's what y'all got to see in this chapter. It's great that some of you are actually enjoying these characters I've created, so I hope this chapter lived up to expectations as well._

_It won't be as long till the next update, I hope._

_xoxo_


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